Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 24, 1990 TAG: 9006260018
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bill Cochran
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
It will be the weigh-in.
"That scares me to death," said the Lynchburg fisherman, whom many view as the man to beat. "In other tournaments, if you don't catch any fish you can drift back into the crowd at the weigh-in and talk about the ones that got away."
This time, the weigh-in for the three-day tournament will take place in the LancerLot in Vinton. The contestant, his boat, and - he hopes - his bass will come rolling into the arena where a full house of 3,600 spectators is expected Saturday, the final day.
The catch weight will be flashed onto a digital scoreboard for everyone to see. And just to make sure, Ray Scott, the father of bass tournaments, will shout it out over the public-address system while Nashville Network TV cameras grind away.
"I am going to carry me a stocking cap so if I come into that arena with an empty livewell I can pull the cap down over my head and slump down in my seat," said Elder.
People who know Elder will be surprised if the hat comes into play. A consistent competitor for more than 20 years, the 48-year-old optician has been on a roll this year:
First place, March 11, Bassing America, Kerr Lake.
Fourth, March 17, Smith Mountain Ruritan Club tournament, Smith Mountain Lake.
Second, March 24, Tarheel Team Tournaments, Kerr.
Fourth, April 1, Bassing America, Gaston Lake.
Fifth, April 7, Roanoke Valley Bassmasters Spring Invitational, Smith Mountain Lake.
First, April 8, American Bass Association, Smith Mountain.
Tenth, April 29, Red Man Piedmont Division Qualifier, Gaston.
First, May 12, Tarheel Team Tournaments Super Bucks, Kerr.
The fact that Smith Mountain is considered Elder's home lake has both advantages and disadvantages, he believes.
"I know the lake," he said. "I know a lot of brush piles. I know a lot of good points. If the fish get on a pattern like that, I can pretty much know were to go while someone not familiar with the lake wouldn't have a clear picture in his mind where to go next."
On the down side, familiarity can be a snare, said Elder, if you spend too much time fishing places that have yielded bass in the past but aren't paying off during the tournament.
"I don't think Jerry will get caught up in that," said James Dudley, a hometown friend who earned a berth in the 1982 BASS Masters Classic through the federation route. "He is too smart a fisherman to do that."
The tournament will have 40 smart fishermen, said Lyn Wheatley, the B.A.S.S. Federation director. "Remember, we have filtered 35,000 down to 40. These are the top 40 we have to offer," Wheatley said.
The contestants have clawed their way into the tournament through the grass-root's competitions of 2,200 B.A.S.S. clubs across the country. They include an attorney from Minnesota, a miner from Utah, a lure manufacturer from Mississippi, a painter from Florida.
The winner in the $50,000 event will take home $7,000, but that's not the real prize. Five fishermen, one from each of the federation's geographical divisions, will earn a slot in the BASS Masters Classic, Aug. 23-25 on the James River at Richmond. A chance to win the Classic is the highest honor bass fishing can lavish on one of its kind.
"Our surveys show our members dream of fishing the Classic, but they don't have the time from their jobs or the resources it takes to compete on the professional circuit for the full tournament year," said Helen Sevier, president of Montgomery, Ala.-based B.A.S.S. "The federation tournament provides that opportunity without jeopardizing their jobs and financial security."
The eight Eastern Division contestants include six Virginians along with one angler from West Virginia and one from Maine.
The clear, deep water of 20,000-acre Smith Mountain will offer an imposing test for the 40 contestants who will be riding the wake of a dream.
"Other lakes, like Buggs Island [Kerr] and Gaston are shallower lakes," said Elder. "The fish spend more time in the shallows. When they are in shallow water, you have a better chance of locating them and catching them."
At Smith Mountain, when daylight gives shape to the shoreline, the baitfish begin to move from shallow to deep water and the bass follow them, said Elder. It can be as if someone has locked them in a vault.
"The bass will be where the shad are. The bigger fish will be suspended," Elder said. "For some reason, they are hard to get when they are suspended like that. For me, anyway. I can catch fish here in the spring and fall, but summertime is so hit-and-miss. I can't count on it."
A test of the best should be tough, said Peewee Powers, president of the Virginia State B.A.S.S. Federation. "That is what we need, to let these guys know what it takes to win one of these tournaments," Powers said.
by CNB